Good fencing can save lives! - 2 April 2014

It’s important to have the right fence in place to keep out unwanted pests, but even more so when it can also potentially save lives.

This was the situation faced by Darwin fencing contractor Stuart McLaren when he was given the job of installing five kilometres of perimeter fencing around an airstrip on the remote island of Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

With 20 years in the fencing game and so much at stake, Mr McLaren knew there was only one fencing brand up to the task.

“There are hundreds of people flying in and out of the BHP mining camp on the island each week, and in the past there have been dingos, wallabies, wild dogs and quolls entering the airstrip,” Mr McLaren said.

“That’s a huge safety breach and a nightmare for pilots.

“For a job like this, Waratah fencing was the only answer. The island is 640 kilometres from Darwin, so I needed materials that would go in quickly and easily, and that would stand the test of time.”

Mr McLaren was particularly impressed with the new Waratah JIO posts, saying his team was able to drive them into some very hard conditions, including solid rock and manganese soil types.

“We wouldn’t have been able to get many of the cheaper brands into the ground, but the JIO posts were easy to install which helps to minimise labour and costs greatly.”

StockSafe T 15/150/15 wire was used in combination with two Flexabel Longlife selvedge wires and Ringmaster Longlife clips.

Mr McLaren says there hasn’t been a single animal on the airstrip since the new Waratah fence was installed.

“No dramas at all, not a single one.”

Ever since he became a fencing contractor, Mr McLaren’s preference has been to use Waratah products.

“It can be challenging to convince people that Waratah is, without a doubt, the best product out there, given it’s often more expensive to purchase initially.

“But I tell them that it will save them money in the long run because Waratah will last at least three times as long as cheaper alternative fencing brands.”